*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading When people think of ancient Greece, images of philosophers such as Plato or Socrates often come to mind, as do great warriors like Pericles and Alexander the Great, but hundreds of years before Athens became a city, a Greek culture flourished and spread its tentacles throughout the western Mediterranean region via trade and warfare. Scholars have termed this pre-Classical Greek culture the Mycenaean culture, which existed from about 2000-1200 BCE, when Greece, along with much of the eastern Mediterranean, was thrust into a centuries long Dark Ages. Before the Mycenaean culture collapsed, it was a vital part of the late Bronze Age Mediterranean system and stood on equal footing with some of the great powers of the region, such as the Egyptians and Hittites. Despite being ethnic Greeks and speaking a language that was the direct predecessor of classical Greek, the Mycenaeans had more in common with their neighbors from the island of Crete, who are known today as the Minoans. Due to their cultural affinities with the Minoans and the fact that they conquered Crete yet still carried on many Minoan traditions, the Mycenaeans are viewed by some scholars as the later torchbearers of a greater Aegean civilization, much the way the Romans carried on Hellenic civilization after the Greeks. Given that the Mycenaeans played such a vital role on the history in the late Bronze Age, it would be natural to assume there are countless studies and accurate chronologies on the subject, but the opposite is true. Although the Mycenaeans were literate, the corpus of written texts from the period is minimal, so modern scholars are left to use a variety of methods in order to reconstruct a proper history of Mycenaean culture, and what came after. The Greek Dark Ages, sometimes referred to as the Homeric Age or the Geometric Period, spans the era of Greek history from the end of the Mycenaean civilization around 1100 BCE and the emergence of the Greek poleis in the 9th century BCE. It is an era that has provided little in terms of extant archaeological evidence, which in part explains the name "Dark Ages," but this lack of evidence has led some archaeologists and historians to make the very great assumption that little of any real significance occurred during these 200 years. Instead, they view it as a sort of hiatus between the collapse of the Mycenaean culture and the emergence of Archaic Greece. As with other so-called "Dark Ages," this assessment is simplified, and an absence of evidence should never be assumed as evidence of absence. While these two centuries were, indeed, a period of transition, they included events and developments that were specific to the time, most notably the development of iron for weaponry, and many of these developments were highly significant in the subsequent evolution of Archaic Greece. After all, it's crucial to keep in mind that places like Athens and Sparta were inhabited throughout this time, and the impact of the Minoans, Mycenaeans, and others shaped their futures. The Greek Dark Ages: The History and Legacy of the Era Between the Fall of the Mycenaeans and the Rise of the City-States examines the overlooked time period, what life was like during it, and how it facilitated the rise of the famous poleis. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Greek Dark Ages like never before.

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of ancient accounts When people think of ancient Greece, images of philosophers such as Plato or Socrates often come to mind, as do great warriors like Pericles and Alexander the Great, but hundreds of years before Athens became a city, a Greek culture flourished and spread its tentacles throughout the western Mediterranean region via trade and warfare. Scholars have termed this pre-Classical Greek culture the Mycenaean culture, which existed from about 2000-1200 BCE, when Greece, along with much of the eastern Mediterranean, was thrust into a centuries long Dark Ages. Before the Mycenaean culture collapsed, it was a vital part of the late Bronze Age Mediterranean system and stood on equal footing with some of the great powers of the region, such as the Egyptians and Hittites. The Greek Dark Ages, sometimes referred to as the Homeric Age or the Geometric Period, spans the era of Greek history from the end of the Mycenaean civilization around 1100 BCE and the emergence of the Greek poleis in the 9th century BCE. It is an era that has provided little in terms of extant archaeological evidence, which in part explains the name "Dark Ages," but this lack of evidence has led some archaeologists and historians to make the very great assumption that little of any real significance occurred during these 200 years. Instead, they view it as a sort of hiatus between the collapse of the Mycenaean culture and the emergence of Archaic Greece. As with other so-called "Dark Ages," this assessment is simplified, and an absence of evidence should never be assumed as evidence of absence. If anything, the collapse of the Mycenaeans was a drawn-out affair, and while the early centuries of the Dark Ages might beseen as a continuation of this trend, even in the worst years, there was a degree of continuity and even some innovations. These changes including the beginnings of the use of iron as an alternative to bronze and some religious practices that continued to be observed. Furthermore, enough remained to form the basis of a recovery in economic, cultural, and artistic aspects of life in the later stage of the era, and in the political sphere, changes necessitated by the collapse in the economic system certainly paved the way for the rise of the polis, which would prove so fundamental in Greece in the centuries that followed. The relative success of the Aegean settlements was also crucial to recovery, as well as all major developments in politics, economics, international relations, warfare, and culture that created the structures and framework that developed during the later Classical period (480 BCE.-323 BCE). This laid the groundwork for the Greek Renaissance of the 8th century. During that time, the Greek alphabet developed and the earliest surviving Greek literature was composed, while in terms of art and architecture, sculptures and red-figure pottery began. Warfare changed significantly as well when the hoplite became the core infantry. Put simply, none of these developments could have occurred if the basis for these changes had not been secured during what came to be known as the Greek Renaissance, which bridged the gap between the Dark Ages and Archaic Greece. The Greek Dark Ages and Greek Renaissance: The History and Legacy of the Bronze Age Transition to Archaic Greece examines how ancient Greece developed over the course of over 1,000 years before bringing about the famous city-states. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Greek Dark Ages and the Greek Renaissance like never before.

This is a classic work of archaeology by one of the premier figures in the field. First published in 1971, A.M. Snodgrass'The Dark Age if Greece is the most comprehensive and coherent account available of this period of ancient Greece.

A History of the Archaic Greek World offers a theme-based approach to the development of the Greek world in the years 1200-479 BCE. Updated and extended in this edition to include two new sections, expanded geographical coverage, a guide to electronic resources, and more illustrations Takes a critical and analytical look at evidence about the history of the archaic Greek World Involves the reader in the practice of history by questioning and reevaluating conventional beliefs Casts new light on traditional themes such as the rise of the city-state, citizen militias, and the origins of egalitarianism Provides a wealth of archaeological evidence, in a number of different specialties, including ceramics, architecture, and mortuary studies

Following Oliver Dickinson’s successful The Aegean Bronze Age, this textbook is a synthesis of the period between the collapse of the Bronze Age civilization in the thirteenth and twelfth centuries BC, and the rise of the Greek civilization in the eighth century BC. With chapter bibliographies, distribution maps and illustrations, Dickinson’s detailed examination of material and archaeological evidence argues that many characteristics of Ancient Greece developed in the Dark Ages. He also includes up-to-date coverage of the 'Homeric question'. This highly informative text focuses on: the reasons for the Bronze Age collapse which brought about the Dark Ages the processes that enabled Greece to emerge from the Dark Ages the degree of continuity from the Dark Ages to later times. Dickinson has provided an invaluable survey of this period that will not only be useful to specialists and undergraduates in the field, but that will also prove highly popular with the interested general reader.

Describes the evolution of the city-states Athens and Sparta between 1600 and 500 B.C. and examines the ways the early Greeks learned to handle social conflict